The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

When you rent a storage unit, you sort of assume that most of your worldly belongings won’t be nommed on by rats. That’s why you’re paying for a storage unit, and didn’t pile your furniture and family heirlooms in the woods or in an abandoned building. Yet a California storage facility just sort of shrugged when one of their customers lost many of her belongings in a rat infestation.

Whose job is it to keep storage rooms rodent-free? The contract that customers sign says that the company isn’t in charge of keeping your possessions safe, stating that the company will “have no responsibility to occupant for any loss, liabilty, claim, expense, damage to property…. from any cause.” Insurance is available to customers, but it covers a relatively small amount, and isn’t much comfort when irreplaceable things get destroyed by rodents. For example, the critters made a nest out of her son’s baby blanket.

The dispute, which the woman took to CBS Sacramento’s Kurtis Ming, is over the $2,800 that she’s paid to the storage facility so far. She’d like some of that money back, and the facility won’t budge. She doesn’t want the facility to cover the cost of replacing her belongings, but she doesn’t appreciate that she paid them $400 per month to let rats in to her storage locker.

The company wasn’t interested in returning the TV station’s calls, and the industry group that the company belongs doesn’t think that they have any obligation to compensate her for her lost belongings. What about for their bad job storing her stuff?